Approach articles from March 2002

Approach archives from March 2002

Learning from other's mistakes; they were going 40 knots when the plane smashed through thick shrubs at the departure end and then descended into the water.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Last July, my father visited me in Jacksonville. He always has supported my naval aviation career, and, over the years, has hinted at wanting to take flying lessons. His visit seemed to be the perfect opportunity to share the joy of flight with...

Please stop rollin G!(using chocks to back up parking brakes)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... It started off as a five-hour pilot trainer and was my third flight as an instructor pilot. I had to complete two events that, together, would cover every P-3 emergency and malfunction we learn. We worked through multiple-preflight issues and...

Up we spiral.(bad planning and weather conditions)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... We had completed a Cobra detachment at NAS Fallon and planned to get on the boat the following week. Things were hectic as we packed up the maintenance shop. It made logistical sense to have the maintenance personnel daily and turn-around the...

The pucker factor: I over-rotated a few degrees off the cat, and we were climbing too steeply to accelerate.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Aviators often relearn the lessons of those who came before them through their own experiences. This experience often comes with a high level of pucker factor, solidifying these lessons for a lifetime. I never really understood the true meaning...

A cool, new experience: I had been in the water for fewer than 30 seconds but already hardly could move my hands.(water survival training)
March 1, 2002... As an exchange officer flying the Sea Lynx with the German Navy, I was looking lot new and unusual experiences. Shortly after arriving at my new post, my expectations were more than met when I began the German version of water survival. The...

Mishap-free milestones.(safety record of military aircraft)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... VMFA-232 22 years (90,000 hours) VMGR-252 (375,000 hours) VPU-1 19 years (37,823 hours) HC-3 27 years (170,000 hours) VFA-27 15 years (60,000) VAW-126 9 years (13,900 hours) 4th-MAW 5 years (633,435...

Aviation humor.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Gripes Worth Griping About. Here are some actual maintenance submitted by pilots and the replies from the maintenance crews. * = problem; ** = solution * Left inside main tire almost needs replacement ** Almost replaced left...

My scariest movement.(plane struck by lightning)
March 1, 2002... I used to tell people the scariest things I've ever done were night traps in the Tomcat. I can't say that anymore. My T-45 student (callsign Flash) and I were "stuck" in Key West. We were supposed to swap a good jet for a high-time, jet and...

MC1 failure? No problem!(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... It was a good deal OCA, a short 1+15 cycle with 2,000 pounds of gas per blue fighter, and with a mixed division of Hornets and Tomcats as red-air. It was our first flight since a sweet port visit to Singapore, and we were licking our chops to...

A lesson in teamwork.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... It was a typical Florida summer morning at NAS North Whiting Field--clear skies and unrestricted visibility. We were a formation flight of two that began with a brief on relative-motion techniques and formation procedures. Our view of the...

Running down the tanker: approaching 15 miles, I used pressure from the APU and brake accumulators to emergency-extend the gear.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... It was night, and I had just dropped my wingman off in the marshal stack after another max-endurance session of AIC. I then heard the master-caution tone and saw the master-caution light illuminate on the instrument panel. Looking at the left...

Near-midairs with a train. (ORM Corner).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... This promised to be another mundane work-up flight. We knew where all the players were supposed to be and when they were supposed to be there. OK, maybe we were getting a bit relaxed, but we'd been doing the same ol' thing for two weeks. We...

Taking the "safety pulse" of your squadron.
March 1, 2002... The CO has been in place for a couple months and is getting a grip on the squadron's op tempo, work ethic, and safety climate. But, are the CO's impressions correct? Is the CO's finger on the pulse of the squadron? How can COs know when their...

Backed in a corner.(flying blind)
March 1, 2002... The Kitty Hawk and CVW-5 team were nearing the end of their 2000 spring cruise. The crew could see light at the of the tunnel as the Hawk rounded the southern tip of the Kwa peninsula and steamed north. The work was not yet done, though. All...